I was in St. Louis this week for a work trip. Honestly, I have started to appreciate these trips more than I expected. I never thought I would enjoy being back on the road for work, but in some ways it has become a blessing in disguise.
Being away means I do not have to deal with AE as much during the week. The downside is coming home to the things that AJ allows him to get away with while I am gone.
While I was in St. Louis, she let AE sleep in the living room the entire time. I have been very clear that I do not like that. The living room is a shared space, not a bedroom. When I bring it up, she usually just laughs it off and says that when I am not home they do not have to follow the rules.
I did not push the issue this time, but the next time I travel, if I find out she is letting him sleep in the living room again, I am considering removing the restrictions on his Xbox and television and unblocking YouTube so she can deal with the consequences herself.
I am getting very tired of coming home and having to reset everything back to normal. Every time I return, I end up having to enforce the rules all over again because they were not followed while I was gone.
Situations like this are starting to create distance between AJ and me. It also creates friction between AE and me when I try to enforce the rules after being away.
Drifted Notes 